Workers Seek Living Wages, Fair Treatment on the Job

Press Contact

Kara Deniz

(NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.) – In a national move to modernize the port trucking industry to respect the rights of drivers and stabilize their families’ income, drivers at a South Carolina port drayage company have voted to join Teamsters Local 509.

The 53 drivers at Container Maintenance Corporation (CMC) Logistics transport shipping containers between the Port of Charleston and a railyard in North Charleston.

“Local 509 believes this victory is a monumental win because it will pave the way for many others at the Charleston ports,” said James Todd, Local 509 President. “We want to thank everyone for the hard work and dedication to make this campaign successful.”

“This is a victory for all port drivers who are fighting for justice. Despite the company’s vicious anti-worker campaign, these drivers remained strong and united in their fight to win decent, living wages and fair treatment,” said Fred Potter, Director of the Teamsters Port Division. “The Port Division worked hand in hand with Local 509 on this victory and stands ready to help negotiate a strong first contract to improve these workers’ lives.”

“We’re all happy because we know we will have a strong voice at work as Teamsters,” said Antoin Jenkins, who has worked at CMC since 2015. “With a strong voice, we can improve things at work. It’s very exciting to be a Teamster.”

“The final straw that led us to unite as Teamsters was in August when the company changed our pay from hourly to ‘production,’ and then cut our pay. I applied for a home loan and when the underwriter called the company to verify my income, the company told them I’m ‘just a production worker’ with no verifiable income so I was rejected. Now as Teamsters, we can negotiate a pay and benefits package that works for families like mine,” said Reggie McQueen, who has worked at CMC since 2015.

Port drivers across America – both those misclassified as independent contractors and employee drivers who are being driven into despair by low wages and unpredictable income – are fighting back against a system that is rigged by America’s largest corporations. The system creates wealth for the CEOs at the expense of working men and women like the drivers who haul cargo from America’s seaports.

The Port of Charleston drivers’ victory is the fourth recent win for workers at intermodal companies. On December 1, 133 workers at ITS ConGlobal in Harvey, Ill., voted to join Teamsters Local 710 in the Chicago area. In November 2016, 777 workers at Parsec, Inc. in Commerce, Calif., voted to join Teamsters Local 986 and this past July, 507 workers at Parsec in Elwood, Ill. voted to join Teamsters Local 179.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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